George mitnro



GEORGE MUNEO, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Parent No. 79,850, dared Juzg 14,1858.

'IMPROVED INSTRUMENT POR STRETGHING BOOTS AND SHOESl @the rtem'lr referat in it Ihre Etnias ateut mit making part nf the smut.

rro, ALL WHOM IT MAY coNcEEN; l Y

B c itA known that I,'GEORGE MUNRO, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Instrument for Stretching Boots and Shoes; and' I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. i l Y,

My invention consists of a simple and eiective instrument, Pully described hereafter, for stretching the toes of boots and shoes, the instrument being such that it can be applied andoperated without the tedious manipulation necessary in using the ordinary stretching-blocks and wedges.

I In order to enable others to make and apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specication, and in whieh- Figure-ls `a. vertical sectional view of my improved instrument for stretching boots and shoes, andl Figure 2 a. sectional plan view of the same on the line 1 2, fig. 1.

The instrument is made in the form ot a last, of hard wood or cast iron, and consists of a heel-piece, A, n'd toe-piece, B, connected together by a metal block, C. At the rear end of thelatteriis'a projection, a,

which enters a vertical groove,'b, in the neel-piece,I anc serves to attach the block to the same; and the front end of the block, upon which' the toe-piece is arranged to slide, enters a recess,cZ, formed for its reception'in the said toe-piece.

The block C isdividerl longitudinally into two parts or sections, e and e', securcdtogether by scrcwsf, and within the said block, and :it right angles to each other, are formed two chambers, g g, for the reception of bevel-wheels, h and 7L', whose spindles, D and D', turn in the block, and project from the same, as shown in tig. 1.

A detachable handle, F, is adapted to the upper squared end` ofr the vertical spindle D, and the horizontal screwspindle D', upon which is .out a left-handed screw-thread, z', enters an opening, j, ot' the toe-piece B. The screw-spindle D also passes through a nut,` G, which isf embedded in the toe-pieceB, (sec lig. 1.)

On turning the handle F to tho rigl1t, as indicated hy the arrow, fig. 2, the Vspindles D and D', connected, as they are, by the bevel-wheels, will also be turned, and, owing to the direction in which the thread z' is out, the latter will, through the medium of the stationary nut G, force the two sections A and B of the instrument apart from each other, the section D sliding:r upon the front portion et' the block C, as before described.V

i By reversing the motion of the handle, that of the'threaded spindle D' will also be reversed, and the two-- sections of" the instrumentthereby drawn toward each other.

`In using the instrument, thev sections are first drawn together, so that they may be readily introduced into the interior of the boot or shoeto be stretched, '.'Lhe toe of the latter is then moistened, in order to soften the leather, and the sections are forced apart, 'the portion A bearing against the heel. of the hoot or shoe and the manipulation ofthe-handle. Y Y

The block G and its spindles can' easily be separated from thesections A and B, and applied t`o `others oi' a pointed end, x, of the sectionB against the toe, which is stretched to a greater or less degree, according to the' different size, and in case of the breakage of any ot the partsA thc Asections c\`and e' of the block C can read-ily be taken apart after 'withdrawing the screwsf, and the broken portions repaired or replaced by others. Y

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination ot' the. sections A B, block C, screw-spindle D', nut G, bevchwheels I and L', and spindle D, thewhole being arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The blockC, consisting of two parts, e and e', secured together by screws ff, and arranged for the reception ot' the bevel-i`vheels h and h' and spindles D and D', -as dcscribedi In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the 'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. MUNR-O.

Witnesses JonN WHITE, C. B. PRICE. 

